[history-fan]

I recently acquired this FN 1922. It has the wartime serial number, with only the last four digits and the letter showing in the images. The first digit is present on the slide.

Here are my questions:

- what is the letter at the end of the number? Is it an F?
- any approximation on the date of production. Because it has the full number on the slide, does that make it 1944?

Great forum, thanks for any assistance.

Dan

 

[Job1]

It is a 'b' but that's all I can help you with, sorry!

 

[ZBiker]

I don't think it is a "B" Dave.... I believe it is a script "fn" . I have one and that mark appears on the right side top of the trigger guard where it meets the frame. I just took the pistol apart, that is the only one of those marks on it. Z

 

[Job1]

It is a "b". The serial numbers used alpha letters for every set of 10,000. It is a "b".

 

[ij70]

From doing a little bit of reading I have learned that the letter could be: a, b or c. No other choices.

 

[bayoned]

I have a number of German produced M1922 suffix a's, b's, and c's. It's a "b".

 

[curly1]

I vote b also.

 

[Ronbo6]

It is a lightly struck, lower case, cursive, b.

My 1922 is 51853 b.

 

[cpw]

It is a 'b'

 

[ZBiker]

Hmmm ok lol I tried to take a pic of that mark on my pistol last night( it is on the frame but NOT part of the SN)..but my POS camera can't bring it into focus lol Z

 

[history-fan]

Thanks everyone. The prevailing opinion seems to be a "b" oddly shaped that it is.

Dave Baird states above that the letter suffix was changed every set of 10,000.

According to cruffler.com/historic-may01.html:

"WaA140: This stamping was used from late 1941 to the liberation in 1944 on approximately 325,000 7.65mm pistols. Serialization began in the 67,000 - 68,000 range and proceeded to approximately serial number 155,000. In late 1943 serialization was restarted using the German military system. In this system serial numbers were limited to five digits with a one letter suffix. The letter indicated a block of 100,000 pistols. (Example: A pistol with the serial number 34554b is actually the 234,554th pistol produced - the first block of 100,000 had no suffix, pistols 100,000 - 199,999 were suffixed with an a, and pistols 200,000 through 299,999 were suffixed with a b.) In 1944, serial number markings were simplified with the full serial number appearing only on the slide, with the last four digits appearing on the frame."

If indeed it was changed every set of 100,00 with a production of only 325,000 they should not have gotten higher than a "c" suffix.

By my math I see it as:

001 to 99,999 - no letter suffix
100,000 to 199,999 - "a" suffix
200,000 to 299,999 - "b" suffix
300,000 to end - "c" suffix

If the above quote is accurate, with mine having the full serial number on the slide (x3912b) and last 4 on the frame, I believe it to be 1944 production, specifically 2x3912. Does this sound accurate?

Bayoned - You said you have this same shaped "b" on your FN 1922's?

 

[cpw]

That is the standard German cursive lower case 'b'.

With the bottom missing, either it was a used die (they do wear out) or an off strike (as you will notice the right side is deeper than the left).

Such also appears on the Hi Powers.

 

[history-fan]

Thanks Charlie. I see your point when I look at the German lower case cursive at this link.

http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kobie/script.htm

 

[arjacobson]

Interesting bit of info: My uncle had just got out of POW camp 4dz(buchenwald satelite camp) . The russians just liberated them. He went up to the first german policeman he saw and "liberated" a pistol just like yours. Basically told him to give ip his pistol if he knew what was good for him.. Carried it all the way back until he got to allied lines.. He still has it and fired it for the first time last summer.. The old boy is in his late 80"s and still carries a k98 round in his back..